The UK Gambling Commission is urging remote gambling operators to strengthen identity checks after finding registration errors that contributed to failed financial risk assessment matches, complaints and withdrawal delays.
The regulator said Licence Condition 17 requires operators to establish that a customer exists and that their name, address and date of birth correspond to the same person before gambling begins. Operators should not wait until withdrawal to resolve identity issues that could have been addressed earlier.
Registration Errors Create Concerns
More than a quarter of complaints received by the Commission’s Contact Centre concern identity verification, while related disputes remain among the most common cases referred to alternative dispute resolution providers.
The Commission identified cases involving initials instead of full names, nicknames, commercial addresses and customers registering with middle names instead of forenames. Such inaccuracies can prevent matches with external records, including GAMSTOP, weakening self-exclusion protections.
The regulator also raised concerns about “fuzzy matching” by third-party verification providers. Accepting partial or uncertain matches can leave operators without sufficient assurance that they have verified a unique individual.
Helen Rhodes, director of major policy projects and evaluation, and Sarah Webster, senior policy officer, said: “By reinforcing existing identity verification requirements and setting out where improvements can be made, we aim to support operators in strengthening their processes to ensure the customer journey is as frictionless as possible.”
Financial Risk Pilot Exposed Matching Problems
The Commission’s findings came from its financial risk assessment pilot, conducted between 2024 and 2025. The pilot examined why some customers could not be matched with records held by credit reference agencies.
Although unmatched accounts represented a small share, the regulator found that incomplete or inaccurate identity information sometimes contributed to failed matches. These problems also created wider concerns because accurate identity information supports controls against underage gambling, fraud and money laundering.
The Commission will phase in financial risk assessments after further industry engagement. It previously confirmed that further pilot data would not be released until September, prompting industry calls for greater evidence about the scheme.
Grainne Hurst, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “The Commission has yet to publish a full evaluation of the pilot, so neither the industry nor the public has seen the evidence needed to justify introducing these checks,” she noted. “These checks cannot be described as genuinely frictionless if they produce unreliable outcomes.”
Operators Urged To Act Earlier
The regulator said operators should collect complete and accurate information during registration and address unresolved concerns promptly. It does not expect enhanced due diligence for every customer at onboarding, but expects checks robust enough to establish identity.
Rhodes and Webster said: “Ensuring that robust identity verification checks are carried out at the outset is one of the most effective ways to reduce friction for customers. Taking these steps will not only support better and more transparent customer outcomes, but will also strengthen operators’ ability to meet their wider regulatory obligations.”
The Commission will continue monitoring operator progress and consider whether further action is required.
Source:
“Reminder of identity verification requirements for remote operators”, gamblingcommission.gov.uk, August 12, 2026
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